Power line arrangement for a crane truck



Dec. 9, 1969 s. w. WORTHINGTON 3,482,715

POWER LINE ARRANGEMENT FOR A CRANE TRUCK Filed June 22, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. STANLEY W WORTHINGTON ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1969 s. w. WORTHINGTON 3,482,715

POWER LINE ARRANGEMENT 1 0R A CRANE TRUCK Filed June 22, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 m9 mg om B E m: 3 g w= N9 M5 N9 ON INVENTOR. STANLEY W. WORTHINGTON ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1969 s. w. WORTHINGTON 3,432,715

' POWER LINE ARRANGEMENT FOR A CRANE TRUCK F iled June 22, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG 5 INVENTOR. 4 6 STANLEY W. WORTHINGTON ATTORNEY POWER-LINE ARRANGEMENT FOR A CRANE TRUCK Filed June 22, 1967 Dec. 9,1969 -S.-WLWORTHINGTON 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG 8 CYLINDER FIG 9 INVENTOR. STANLEY W. WORTHINGTON ATTORNEY United States Patent i tLsf cl. 2 14 75 3 Claims ABSTRACT oF THE DISCLOSURE A crane is described which runs on a track which takes very littlehead room due to a novel sheave arrangement and which can be remotely controlled through power supplied through the hydraulic lines. I

Thisinvention relates in general to cranes and, in particular, to a novel unloader which runs on a track and which requires little. head room and c'an be remotely controlled. The'crane may be stationary mounted ormay be installed in a van. I Y

It is desirableto load and unload cargo as quickly and efiiciently as possible. The present invention relates to a hoist mounted on tracks, for loading and unloading and which requires a minimum of room atthe top.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved hoist for loading and unloading.

Another object is to provide an improved hoist which requires the minimum head space.

A further object is to provide an improved hoist which may be remotely controlled.

A feature of this invention is found in the provision for a hoist that is mounted on tracks that may be extended and which requires the minimum head room. and may be remotely controlled. Although the invention will be described as used in a van it is to be understood that it is often installedon a loading platform rather than in a van.

Further objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description and claims when read in view of the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the loader of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side cut-away plan view;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the hoist;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed View of the sheave arrangement;

FIGURE 5 illustrates the lifting cylinder;

FIGURE-6 is a cut-away detailed view of the insulating coupling;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded view ofthe cross-trolley;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view of the control valve and solenoids;- and FIGURE 9 is a schematic view of the control circuitry and hydraulic power. 7

FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate a truck, designated generally as 10 which has a cab 12 and a body 11. The truck illustrated has a fixed body but it is to be realized that a tractor and semi-body or any other truck-body structure could serve to illustrate the invention.

Mounted to the walls 15 and 14 of the truck body are tracks 18 and 1'9 upon which a hoist 21 is mounted. The tracks 18 and 19 are attached to the walls 14 and 15 of the body as close to the top as possible to allow maximum room beneath the hoist for cargo. The hoist 21 is 3,482,715 Patented Dec. 9, 1969 designed to have minimum height so that it does not require much space.

A pair of pivoted extensions 24 and 26 are attached to the truck body at the rear by brackets 36 and 37 and allow the tracks to extend beyond the end of the body during loading and unloading. Stops 27 and 28 are ,attached to the ends of tracks 24 and 26 to limit the movement of the hoist 21. As best shown in FIGURE 2 the extensions 24 and 26 are supported by frame members 29 and braces 31, 32 and 33. A rod 34 joins one end of frame member 29 to the extension 24 and is pivotally mounted in the brackets 36 and 37. A lock 39 on the extensions locks to catch 38 on the truck body to hold the extension in the extended position. The lock 39 may be disengaged from the catch 38 and the extension swung completely into the truck body to a position 180 degrees from the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Theextensions may also be moved and stored at a position 90 degrees from that shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 if desired. This allows the rear doors 64 and 66 of the body to be closed and locked during use. Brackets 36 and 37 are mounted halfway between the track and the floor of the van.

The hoist 21 has wheels 20 which run on tracks 18 and 19. These wheels are made of plastic or other suitable material so as to have a high coefficient of friction to move the hoist. The hoist supports a cable 22 and hook 23 which can be attached to cargo for loading or unloading the truck body. The hook may be moved upwardly and downwardly and sideways, relative to the hoist as described hereafter. The hoist of course also is capable of moving in and out of the van on the tracks 18 and 19.

The truck body 11 has reinforcing members 41 attached to its walls to support the tracks 18 and 19.

Power for controlling the hoist 21 may be hydraulic or electric or a combination. The preferred embodiment illustrated has hydraulic power for driving the hoist and used electrical power for control.

A hydraulic pump 44 is driven by a suitable engine, not shown, which could be the truck engine or a separate engine for that purpose and has an outlet conduit 46. A reservoir 43 has a return conduit 47 connected to it and supplies fluid to the pump 44 through conduit 45.

As best shown in FIGURE 1 conduits 46 and 47 pass up the front wall 13 of the van and along the top 14 of the van and are attached to brackets 40 and 50 adjacent the sides of the van. The conduits 46 and 47 then pass over moveable sheaves 52 and 53 which are spring biased toward the front of the body as shown in FIGURE- 4. Sheave 52 is rotatably supported on shaft 61 which is attached to L-shaped bracket 67. Bracket 67. has an extension 54 which extends downwardly. Bracket 67 is slidably mounted in a guide 49 that is attached to the top of .the van 14.-

A spring 56 is attached between extension 54 and a bracket 57 on the end 13 of the van.

Sheave 53 is similarly mounted spring biased toward the end 13 of the van. Theconduits 46 and 47 connect to conduits 71. and 72 which passes over sheaves 52 and 53 and then pass over sheaves 59 and 60 which are rotatably supported from the top 14 of the van by shafts and 63.

The sheaves 52, 59, 53 and 60 have extending edges 80, 85, and as best illustrated in FIGURE 4 to guide the conduits 71 and 72.

The sheaves 59 and 60 are supported near the center of the van and the conduits 71 and 72 pass from sheaves in a guide 51 and l 3 59 and 60 to the hoist 21. The sheaves are spaced above the hoist so that it may move beneath them from one end of the track to the other. The sheaves are tilted slightly to providea smooth guide for the conduit and sheaves 59 and 60 have V-shaped guides 70 and 100 attached to them to hold the conduit.

The hoist is best illustrated in FIGURE 3. It comprises two end frame members 101 and 102 which are connected by cross frame members 103, 104 and 106. Drive wheels 20 are supported on axles 107 and 108 mounted in frame members 101 and 102. A gear 109 is mounted on shaft 108 and is driven by a chain drive 111 which passes over a gear 112 on the output shaft of in and out hydraulic motor 113 which is mounted on cross frame member 106. The hydraulic motor 113 can be controlled to rotate in either direction to drive shaft 108 and thus move the hoist 21 in or out of the van.

Between cross frame members 104 and 106 a trolley 116 rides on brackets 117 and 118 (see FIGURE 7). The main frame 119 of the trolley 116 supports shafts 121 and 122 which carry wheels 123 that ride on brackets 117 and 118. A chain 124 is attached to ends 126 and 127 of frame 119 and passes over gears 128 and 129 supported at opposite sides of the hoist. Gear 129 is mounted on the output shaft of side drive motor 131 which is mounted on cross frame member 106. Thus, by rotating motor 131 the trolley 116 can be moved transversely of the hoist 21.

Vertical control of the loading hook is accomplished by piston 133 and cylinder 132 which is mounted on hoist 21 between cross frame members 103 and 104. The piston 133 is coupled to a block and tackle 136 which multiplies the movement of the hook 23 as the piston moves. This allows a relative small movement of the piston to move the hook a relatively larger distance. As best shown in FIGURE 5, one end 137 of cable 22 is attached to one side frame 102. Two pulleys 138 and 139 are supported by bracket 141 which rests on support 142 of trolley 116 (see FIGURE 7). The cable 22 passes over pulleys 138 and 139 and a hook supporting pulley assembly 143 (see FIGURE Pulley supporting assembly 143 has a hollow frame member 144 which supports hook 23 and contains a pulley 146 over which the cable 22 passes. Thus means are provided for lowering and raising the hook 23 as the piston 133 moves relative to the cylinder 132.

Three valves 151, 152 and 153 control the motors 113, 131 and the cylinder 132. The fluid inlet line 71 and the return line 72 connect to each valve 151, 152 and 153. A pair of solenoids are connected to each valve to reverse the direction of the motors and the cylinder.

For example, solenoids 154 and 156 are mounted on valve 151; solenoids 157 and 158 are attached to valve 152 and solenoids 159 and 161 are attached to valve 153.

A pair of conduits 162 and 163 extend from valve 151 to motor 113. A pair of conduits 164 and 166 extend from valve 152 to motor 131 and a pair of conduits 167 and 168 extend from valve 153 to cylinder 132.

Valve 151 and solenoids 154 and 156 are shown in FIGURE 8. When solenoid 156 is energized, it moves an armature 171 which moves the valve member 172 so that the valve allows How in a first direction. When solenoid 154 is energized the valve member moves the opposite direction and flow to motor 113 is reversed. When neither solenoid is energized, the motor is stationary because no fluid flows through it.

Electrical power for controlling the hoist is supplied in a novel manner. Conduits 71 and 72 are formed of layers of plastic reinforced with a woven metal mesh (see FIGURE 6). Outer layer 174 and inner layer 176 of plastic is separated by metal mesh 177.

The conduit 41 may be a metal tube attached to the walls of the truck. An electrically insulating coupling 178 is attached to the end of conduit 41 and a junction 179 connects to coupling 178 and to the end of conduit 71. Junction 179 has teeth 181 that engage mesh 177.

4 Power lead 48 is connected to junction 179 and is electrically connected to the mesh 177. Power passes through mesh 177 to the hoist 21. A second insulating coupling 182 (see FIGURE 3) insulates the hoist 21 from mesh 177 and power line 183 supplies power to the hoist. Power line passes to a terminal board 184 on the hoist.

The mesh on the other c nduit 72 is grounded to the truck and the hoist.

A hand controller 186 is connected to terminal board 184 of the hoist by cable 191 and is used to control the hoist. Three switches 187, 188 and 189 control the three movements of the hoist, in-out, sideways and up and down. The switches energize the six solenoids 154, 156, 157, 158 and 159 and 161 associated with the valves to control the various movements.

In operation, the user can place the book 23 into a desired position either outside or in the body with the controller 186. The flexible conduits 71 and 72 are taken up by the sheave arrangement to allow the entire length of the track to be traveled.

I claim:

1. A hoist for loading and unloading comprising a body having a bottom, two sidewalls attached to the bottom, a top attached to the sidewalls, and a first end wall attached to the bottom, the sidewalls and the top,

a pair of tracks attached to said sidewalls adjacent the a carriage comprising a frame with a pair of longitudinal frame members, a pair of transverse frame members connected to said longitudinal members, track engaging wheels mounted on each of said longitudinal frame members and supported on said tracks to allow the carriage to move longitudinally of said body,

a first drive means mounted on said carriage and coupled to said wheels to drive said carriage,

a first control means mounted on the carriage and connected to said first drive means,

a pair of transverse brackets mounted on said carriage,

a trolley supported for transverse movement on said transverse brackets,

a second drive means mounted on the carriage and coupled to said trolley to drive it transversely of said carriage,

a second control means mounted on the carriage and connected to said second drive means,

a lifting means supported by said trolley,

a third drive means mounted on the carriage and connected to the lifting means to control it,

a third control means mounted on the carriage and connected to said third drive means,

a pair of flexible power lines connected to said first,

second and third control means,

a pair of longitudinal guides attached to the top of said body,

a first pair of sheaves mounted in said longitudinal guides and spring biased toward the first end wall,

a second pair of sheaves attached to the top of said body at about the middle thereof, the first of said pair of power lines passing from one side of said carriage over a first one of said second pair of sheaves, over the first one of said first pair of sheaves and attached to said body at about its middle, the second of said pair of power lines passing from the other side of said carriage, crossing over the first power line and over a second one of said second pair of sheaves, over the second one of said first pair of sheaves and attached to said body at about the middle,

a pair of pivoted extensions pivotally attached to the ends of the sidewalls remote from the first end wall, track extensions mounted on said pivoted extensions such that in a first position the track extensions are aligned with said tracks and in a second position the track extensions are at right angles to said tracks and in a third position the track extensions are folded back against said tracks, and means for locking said pivoted extensions in the first, second and third positions.

2. A hoist for loading and unloading as in claim 1 wherein said first and second pairs of sheaves have eX- tending edges and are tilted to guide said power lines.

3. A hoist for loading and unloading according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said power lines has electrically conductive reinforcing mesh through which electrical current may be supplied to said carriage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1952 Belgium. 4/ 1958 Belgium. 11/ 1965 France.

10 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner RAYMOND B. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

